Victory in Defeat
by HeroxPartnerfan96
Summary: After her loss against Soledad in the Kanto Grand Festival, May feels as though all of her hard work and training has gone to waste. Can Ash help her see otherwise? Advanceshipping one-shot, set during AG182


**Victory in Defeat**

May was sitting by herself in the lobby of the Grand Festival Hall; it had been at least a while since her battle against Soledad, which she had lost and found herself in the Top Four of the Kanto Grand Festival, and she was certain that the final round would be starting soon. Even so, that was proving to be the least of May's concerns as she had made herself comfortable on one of the seats. "I don't understand it… How could I have let myself be beaten so easily?" May quietly asked herself, with an expression of dismay showing on her face and a few tears still built up in her eyes. All throughout the battle, it seemed to her that Soledad was able to counter everything May threw at her and deliver it back twice as powerful. Even though she had let out all her feelings of sadness and disappointment at her defeat after she had stepped out of the main contest arena, with Ash, Brock and Max having arrived to console her, it seemed that her tears hadn't completely run dry just yet. As May let out a quiet sigh, that was when she heard someone calling her.

"May! Hey, May!" May lifted her head up with an expression of surprise, and then she turned her head to see that Ash, Max and Brock were walking over to where she was. "There you are, May. We've been looking for you." Ash commented, showing a big smile to see her while Pikachu nodded in agreement. May could only stare in surprise to see the others were here before she showed a small smile. "What are you doing out here by yourself?" Brock asked.

"Oh… hi, guys." she quietly replied. She didn't show any hesitance in brushing the few tears out of her eyes before she stood up from her seat to face the others. "I just needed some time alone after my battle with Soledad." May explained.

The others nodded in understanding, but they then turned their heads towards the screen to notice something. May stared in surprise as she started to wonder what they were looking at, but she then looked up at the screen to see that Soledad's battle was about to start. "It looks like the final round is about to start." Brock commented. While May could only look at the screen in silence, Ash and Max showed a big smile of excitement at this statement.

"All right! We better hurry over if we don't want to miss it." Max cheered. Ash nodded in agreement; he was looking forward to seeing how this battle was going to turn out. He then turned his head to Pikachu to hear what he had to say about it.

"What do you think, buddy? You looking forward to seeing it?" he asked. It didn't take very long for Pikachu to show a big smile and nod in agreement. "(You know it, Ash!)" he cheerfully replied. Once he heard that Pikachu was excited to see it, Ash turned his head to May to hear her opinion on this.

"May, you want to come watch too?" Ash asked. May nearly jumped in surprise at this question, before she slowly turned her glance down and shook her head in response. "No thanks…" May quietly replied. The others stared in surprise as they started to wonder why May wasn't feeling as optimistic as they were, but it didn't take very long for them to figure out the reason why: May had just lost to Soledad in the semi-final round, so it was understandable that she wouldn't be as excited to see Soledad win in her final round. There was silence for a few moments for the others to realise this, before they all started to show comforting smiles in response.

"May, it's alright. I know you're still feeling down about losing to Soledad, but I think you should be proud of yourself for how far you've come. Making it all the way to the Top Four isn't an easy feat, but the fact that you managed to make it that far really says a lot." Brock explained. Max nodded in agreement, before he walked up to May while Ash, Brock and May herself watched in silence.

"May, I know I tend to give you a hard time more often than not, and sometimes even wonder if you know if you're doing." Max said. May simply nodded in agreement; it was true that Max tended to do that more often than not, as he was always certain that he seemed to know a lot about Pokemon, which was impressive for his age on its own. However, it seemed that Max wasn't done yet as he continued. "But all I can say is that no matter how far you came in this Grand Festival, you're always a winner to us. And to me, you're the best big sister I could ask for." At this last statement, Max felt a big smile cross his face as he knew just how true that was. May was silent for a few moments before she felt a grateful smile start to cross her face.

"Thanks, Max. But if I'm being honest, I couldn't have made it this far without…" As she turned her glance up to Ash, seeing the big smile of support he was showing her, it didn't take very long for everything to start sinking in: Ash was the one who had helped her come this far. He had helped her with training for upcoming Contests, giving her advice on what she should do and always supporting her during her battles. Unfortunately, her streak in the Grand Festivals didn't do much to show that, and it was as if she had let him down by losing. He had helped her come this far, and this was how she repaid him. All of that hard work and training to get that far, and her two straight losses were what she had to show for it. This realisation caused May's heart to sink and she suddenly started to feel tears returning to her eyes as it all dawned on her, causing Ash, Brock and Max to showing matching expressions of concern upon seeing her.

"May?" Ash asked. "May, are you alright?" Brock added. "What's the matter, sis?" Max asked. May was silent as she turned her glance up to the three, before she closed her eyes, allowing her tears to flow freely down her face, and immediately ran out of the main lobby towards the front doors, while the others watched in alarm.

"May, wait! What's wrong?" Ash called, reaching one hand forward. However, it seemed that his voice fell on deaf ears as May was already out of the Grand Festival hall before he could even have a chance to figure out what was going on. Ash could only stare in silence as he looked on at the direction May rushed off on in, while Max turned to Brock with an expression of puzzlement on his face.

"What's gotten to her?" Max asked, staring in puzzlement as he was trying to figure out why May was so upset. Brock placed a hand against his chin and turned his glance to think it over, while Ash turned his glance to notice this.

"Hmmm… I have a feeling that May isn't just upset about losing in the Grand Festival." Brock commented. Ash quickly turned around in shock upon hearing this, while Max could only raise an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Max asked. There was silence for a few more moments as Brock was continuing to think it over, before he turned to Ash and Max to explain what he meant.

"Well, remember how much time Ash spent helping her with training and giving her advice and new ideas for Appeal ideas? I'll bet that May is upset not just because she lost, but because she feels like she let Ash down after all the hard work and effort she put in, and because of all the time he had spent helping her out." Brock explained.

Ash could only listen in stunned silence before he turned his glance down to think over what was happening here; it was true that he had always spent time helping May get ready for her Contests, even when he should have been busy getting ready for a Gym battle or a battle against one of the Frontier Brains. He had always been there for her, supporting her, giving her advice and always cheering her on. As all of this started to sink in, that was when a decision seemed to come to Ash and he nodded in confirmation with a firm expression before turning his glance back up to Brock and Max to let them know.

"I've got to go find her." Ash stated. Brock and Max turned their heads to him, before they both showed matching expressions of concern considering the situation they were currently in.

"Ash, it's dark outside. There's no telling where May could have gone out in the forest." Brock replied. "Yeah, and even if you do find her, I don't think she'll be very in the mood to talk with anyone." Max agreed, simply nodding in agreement with Brock. However, Ash didn't seem fazed in the slightest as he shook his head in response.

"I don't care! I'm not going to just stand here when she needs someone to be there for her, and I know that person has to be me! She couldn't have gone too far; if I'm quick, I'm sure I'll catch up to her in no time. I'm sure I'll be able to get through to her." Ash replied, with a confident smile showing on his face to show how certain he was that he would be able to help May through this hard time that she was experiencing, just like he had always done. Max and Brock both turned their glances to each other for a few moments, before they looked back to Ash and nodded.

"All right, Ash. We'll leave it up to you." Brock replied. "If there's anyone I know of that my sister will have to hear out, it'll probably be you, Ash. There's no way she'll refuse listening to you." Max commented, showing a bright smile as he seemed to be aware of the fact that Ash was the one May felt the closest to, just next to Max himself. Ash showed a grateful smile at this comments and nodded.

"Thanks, guys. I'll be back soon with May, I promise." Ash said. With this, he turned his glance to Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. "You ready to get going, Pikachu?" he asked. "(You know it, Ash!)" Pikachu agreed, nodding with an expression of determination as he was ready to help Ash find May. So without a moment to spare, Ash turned to make his way towards the front door and begin his search for May; he had a feeling that she couldn't have gone off too far.

Meanwhile with the brunette in question, she was making a mad dash through the forest, as she simply wanted to be as far away from the Grand Festival Hall as possible. She had completely lost track of how long she had been running, but that was the least of her worries. But after a few more moments, May slowly came to a stop to catch her breath, and she rested a hand against one of the trees as she leaned down to try and catch her breath. After a few seconds once she was certain she wasn't feeling exhausted anymore, she slowly lifted her head up to show that her face had nearly turned red and she lifted a hand to brush the tears still in her eyes away. Once that was done, she slowly looked up at her surroundings. "How long have I been running…? I don't think I have a clue of where I am anymore." May commented to herself. She then showed an expression of annoyance at herself and pressed her hands against her hips as she let out an annoyed sigh. "Well, this is just great. Now I'm upset _and_ lost. Not the greatest combination in the world, if you ask me." May muttered to no one in particular. As she opened her eyes to have a look around, she noticed that there was a particular tree just nearby, so she made her way over it and sat down on the ground, leaning against the tree, and turned her glance up to the night sky.

"I wonder if Ash, Brock and Max are looking for me right now. I guess it's not that much of a surprise, what with me suddenly running away from them like that." May commented. She then let out a sigh of dismay as she knew exactly the reason why she ran away the way she did: it was because she hated herself for letting Ash down. "Ash spent so much time helping me train and get ready for my Contests, even when he should be busy getting ready for his battles, and this is the thanks I give him for all of his support; him, Max, Brock and everyone else. Two Grand Festivals so far and I end up losing in both. What does that say about my abilities as a Coordinator, that I manage to make it so far, but then completely fall flat on my face?" May asked. She then closed her eyes as her thoughts started to trail towards Ash, and all she could picture in her mind was his face.

"Ash has always been someone special; he's always been willing to help others out regardless of who they are, he'll gladly put himself in harm's way for others, and he's just so kind-hearted and selfless, it's no wonder why so many look up to him." May felt a bright smile cross her face at the thought of Ash, and she turned her head back up to look at the night sky. "And… it's why I like him so much." May hadn't admitted this to anyone besides herself, but over the time they had spent together, she had come to realise that she had feelings for Ash. While she was aware of Drew's crush on her thanks to Soledad, and it also helped his habit of giving her roses make a lot of sense, to May, there was only one boy who had managed to win her over, and that… was Ash.

"I've always been afraid to admit my feelings for him, mostly because of how oblivious he can be towards love, and also because I have no idea of what he'll say. But now…" May slowly felt her smile fade and become replaced with an expression of sadness as the reality of her situation started to sink in. "Now with my failures, even if I do tell him the truth, he'll never accept it. Why would he want anything to do with a girl who does nothing but doubt herself, and let him down even after all the support and encouragement he's given her?" May then started to feel tears building in her eyes and she immediately closed them as she hung her head down. "That's because he won't! He probably regrets having ever agreed for us to travel together in the first place! Why did I even make the suggestion to begin with? I… I just don't know… what I should do…" May's voice started to break near the end of this statement, and she buried her face in her arms as she started to sob; she was feeling very lost and crushed under the emotional weight of her failures and the fear of Ash possibly rejecting her if she chose to confess her feelings for him. Needless to say, it was all becoming far too much for her to handle on her own.

As this was happening, up in the sky, Swellow was keeping a lookout for May; Ash had sent him out to see if he could find May from the sky. As Swellow was turning his glance back and forth to observe his surroundings, he promptly stopped and looked down to notice something: there was someone sitting against one of the trees with her face buried in her arms. Recognising just who that could be, Swellow turned around and sped off to find Ash. With Ash, he was looking out for where Swellow was and looked up to see him flying back over. "What is it, Swellow? Have you been able to find where May is?" Ash asked. Swellow nodded in confirmation before taking off ahead, while Ash turned his glance to Pikachu. "Come on, Pikachu! Let's catch up with Swellow!" Ash stated. Pikachu promptly nodded in agreement, so with this, Ash quickly picked up his pace to catch up with Swellow, so he could find where May had gone off to. As he was running, Ash found himself trailing into thoughts of May.

' _I hope May's alright, wherever she could be. It's not hard to blame her for feeling upset about losing in the Grand Festival, but why would she do something like this? It just isn't like her…'_ Ash promptly stopped in his tracks as it suddenly started to make sense to him. _'Wait, that's right. May's not just upset about losing, she feels like she let me down after everything I've done for her. After all the time I've spent helping her train, supporting her and cheering her on, she probably feels like all of that has gone to waste with her losses. But even still… why would that cause her so much distress? Could it be possible that…'_ There was silence for a few moments from Ash before he let out a gasp at his realisation. _'She has feelings for me?'_

Pikachu turned his head to Ash in surprise, having heard his sudden gasp. "(Ash? What's wrong?)" he asked, showing an expression of concern. Ash turned his glance to his partner, seeing his concern before he shook his head in response. "Uh… n-nothing, Pikachu. I'm okay." Ash nervously replied.

Pikachu simply nodded in understanding, but as Ash continued walking in his search for May, that was when he found that his thoughts were standing to wander again. _'How can that be? May has never said anything about any of that, so how is that possible? I guess… it just came to her over all of the time we've spent together, and because of everything I've done for her. And, even if I don't know as much about this as Brock does, I… have the same feelings for her.'_ Ash then felt a bright smile cross his face, and he turned his head up towards the night sky, while Pikachu simply watched him in surprise, wondering just what had gotten into him. _'It does seem crazy coming from someone like me, but every day I spend with May, I can never bring myself to deny it. During our adventures together, she's become someone I could never imagine being without. She somehow manages to make my world come alive whenever I see her, and more often than not, all I can find myself thinking about is her. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever met, not by appearance, but in heart and soul.'_ As these thoughts were circulating in his head, Ash simply felt his heart swell just thinking about May, and he turned his glance to Pikachu while the latter was simply staring at him in surprise.

"(Ash?)" Pikachu asked. Noticing that his little partner was wondering if there was something, Ash turned his glance to Pikachu and it didn't take the electric mouse Pokemon long to see the big smile on his friend's face.

"You know, buddy, it's amazing how you can learn something you never expected yourself learning. I've realised that… I'm in love with May." Ash explained. Pikachu could only stare in shock for a few moments before a big smile immediately crossed his face, hearing that his best friend was no longer oblivious towards love. "I don't know when I'll tell her yet, but when I do, I know she'll be beyond thrilled to hear it. When that day comes, I'll tell May the truth about everything I feel for her, and I'll do everything I can to make sure she feels like the luckiest girl alive." Ash then continued, giving a confident wink to illustrate how certain he was about what he was saying. Pikachu simply nodded in agreement with a smile of joy.

"(All right! I'll be looking forward to that, Ash!)" Pikachu happily replied. Ash couldn't help letting out a giggle upon hearing just how supportive Pikachu was of his newfound feelings for May, and that he was eagerly awaiting the day that Ash would tell her the truth. Just then, the two could suddenly hear the sound of sobbing.

"Pikachu, do you hear that?" Ash asked, he and his partner showing matching expressions of surprise, and Pikachu simply nodded in agreement. Ash then slowly started to walk over to try and find the source and he stopped to notice something: just up ahead, sitting against one of the trees with her face in her hands… was May! The moment he saw her, Ash felt a smile of relief cross his face. "Look, there she is!" Ash cheered. He and Pikachu then looked up to see Swellow drifting down towards them, slowly flapping his wings before landing on the ground. "Thanks for all the help, Swellow." Ash said. Swellow simply let out a squawk before Ash returned him into his Pokeball.

Back with May, she lifted her head up at the sound of a squawk and started to look around in surprise. "What was that?" As she stood up from her sitting spot, she slowly turned her glance to notice someone just nearby: it was Ash. "Ash?" she quietly asked. As she started to wonder what he was doing here, she slowly walked over to where he was, brushing a few stray tears out of her eyes. Ash then turned his glance to spot her walking over, and a big smile of relief immediately showed on his face.

"May!" Showing no hesitance on his part, Ash rushed over to her while she simply stared in surprise. "Ash? What are you doing here?" May asked as Ash stopped in his tracks just in front of her. Ash showed an expression of surprise at this question before giving his answer.

"I've been looking everywhere for you, May! Why did you run off on your own like that? Me, Brock and Max have been worried sick!" Ash replied, while Pikachu was listening to him before nodding in agreement. "(That's right! What were you thinking, May?)" Pikachu then asked. May stared in surprise for a few moments hearing the worry in Ash's voice, before she slowly turned her glance down and turned away while an expression of sadness showing on her face.

"I'm sorry, Ash… It's just that… after remembering my failures in the Grand Festivals I've been in so far, I couldn't bring myself to stay longer…" May quietly replied. Ash could only stare in silence as he was starting to see just how upset May truly was with her losses, and before he could have a chance to speak, May turned to face him. "What is wrong with me, Ash? Why is that I can make it all the way to the Grand Festival, but then when I get there, I end up falling flat on my face? Why did all the effort we put into helping me train for this event suddenly go to waste?!" May blurted. Ash nearly jumped in surprise at her outburst, but it didn't take him long to give his reply.

"What are you talking about? The fact that you still managed to make it there, and did it twice, is something amazing! Plus, you managed to make it in the Top Four of the Kanto Grand Festival; that's something impressive by itself, but the fact that you managed to do it says a lot about your skills as a Coordinator to me." Ash replied. Pikachu simply nodded in agreement with this statement, but it seemed that May didn't happen to believe him as she rapidly shook her head in response.

"But that still doesn't change the fact that I lost! This is the second Grand Festival that I've competed in, and it's also the second one I've lost! How am I ever going to reach my dream of being a Top Coordinator if I keep losing like this?" May retorted. She then started to feel tears building up in her eyes for the third time that night as she continued. "No matter how hard I try, there's always someone better than me. Every time I feel like I might make it, someone comes along and throws everything I've accomplished to the wayside! And to make it even worse, I let you down, Ash! You spent so much time helping me train for my Contests and cheering me on, but in the end all of our efforts just went to waste!"

"That's not true! You might say that it was a waste, but that's far from the truth. I never considered it a waste because I wanted to help you succeed; I wanted to be there to help you make it there and know that I had a hand in helping you get to where you are now. And no matter how many losses you might have, I'll never stop being there to help you!" Ash firmly stated; May wasn't making it easy, but he didn't plan on giving up until he was able to snap her out of this state she was in.

"It was, and you and I both know it! I do appreciate everything you've done to help me, but it still doesn't change the fact that it all got thrown away in the end! I'm just a failure, Ash; I don't even deserve to call myself a Pokemon Coordinator, not with a track record like this! Why would you even bother helping a failure like me? And all I've ever done is hold you back! By now, you'd be well on your way winning your Frontier Symbols, but instead you've had to put up with everything from me and…" This moment just happened to be Ash's breaking point; while he was very patient, he did have a limit, and hearing May put herself down this harshly was exactly where he had reached that limit. Realising what was coming, Pikachu immediately jumped off Ash's shoulder and pulled both of his ears down as he knew exactly what would be coming next.

"MAY MAPLE! Will you stop beating yourself up and just hear me out?!" Ash snapped. May nearly jumped from shock at Ash's outburst, and she could only stare at him in stunned silence seeing just how upset he was at seeing her upset. After a few seconds to catch his breath from that outburst, Ash quietly took a deep breath and let it out in an effort to calm himself down. Once he was certain that he had his temper in check again, Ash let out a sigh before he slowly walked up to May while she simply stared at him in shock; she didn't expect him of all people to use her full name. "Look… I know having a losing streak like this can be really upsetting and frustrating, but putting yourself down like this isn't the right way to handle it. Instead, you should be proud of yourself for how far you've come and think about what you should know for next time. I know it can be frustrating being in a situation where nothing seems to go your way, but you should never stop doing your best at what you do best. As I said, no matter how many losses you might experience, I'll never stop being here to help you out, and we'll never stop supporting you. Nothing you accomplish is ever a waste, May, and I know that one day, you will make it to become a Top Coordinator. So… do you think it's possible for you to not let your losses define your capabilities as a Coordinator?" Ash asked, with a big smile slowly showing on his face during everything he was saying. May could only stare in amazement after having heard all of this, while Pikachu let go of his ears upon realising that things hadn't gotten worse before he made his way back over to the two and looked up to see them looking at each other. May was silent for a few moments before she felt a bright smile cross her face and she nodded in agreement.

"…You're right, Ash. These losses are all just a learning experience for me, so that way I'll know what to do for next time. Thanks for telling me all of that, and I'm really sorry for running away from you and the others like that. From now on, you can count on me always doing my best to improve at what I do best!" May commented, showing a confident smile as she was starting to feel a lot better after everything. This response seemed to fit just right for Ash, as he immediately nodded in agreement.

"That's great to hear! There's the May I know and love so much!" Ash happily replied, but as soon as he realised what he just said, he immediately covered his mouth while May simply stared in amazement at what he had just said. After a few seconds, Ash slowly removed his hands from his mouth and he felt his face start to turn red at the realisation of what he just let out. Before he could have a chance to explain what he meant, May interrupted him.

"Ash… did you just say that… you love me?" May quietly asked, with a smile of awe slowly showing on her face. Ash was silent for a few moments before he let out a silent sigh; he didn't plan to telling May this now, but now that he had let it out, he knew that there was no point in him in hiding it. This wasn't going to be very easy for him to say, but she had to know everything about his feelings for her. So with this, he showed a bright smile before he slowly nodded.

"Yes… I did. I've always felt a special connection with you from the day we met, but I never actually realised what this connection was until tonight. While searching for you, I had some time to myself with just my thoughts, and it was during that time that I realised these feelings I have for you. And no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise, I can never deny my feelings for you. You're truly someone special to me, May, and I could never imagine not getting the chance to meet you. Your sweet and kind-hearted personality and hardworking demeanour make you amazing in my eyes, and I feel like a part of me would be empty if I ever lost you. Every time I see your eyes, they're basically like looking into shining sapphire stones, and your smile pretty much lights up my day no matter what. I might only now know what love means, but I do know that there's only one girl I want to share the most amazing aspects of love with. And that girl…" Ash then reached forward and took May's hands in his while she continued to stare in amazement. "…is you, May."

May was completely silent before she felt a smile of joy cross her face; she had been so afraid that Ash would never care for someone like her, but now here he was, having confessed everything he felt in his heart for her. She had asked herself why he'd ever want anything to do with her, but now she knew that she meant the world to him. It was pretty much everything she had dreamed of, and it was becoming a reality right in front of her eyes. After a few moments passed for all of this to sink for her, May started to speak up. "Ash… I've wanted to tell you the same thing for as long as I can remember. You have been the first one I know of who's always been there to support me and help me whenever I had doubts about myself. Even when I felt no one believed in me, you were there to show me just how wrong I was. Your selfless and kind-hearted personality are everything I dreamed of seeing in a boy like you, and I know that without you, I'd be lost. You're always there to help me when I lose my way, and your dedication towards helping others is something I'll never forget. I could go on forever, but the main point of what I'm trying to say is… I love you, Ash, and nothing else would matter more to me than spending every day with you." May explained, a big smile of joy on her face and her heart basically swelling with feelings of love and happiness, something that, with being able to finally confess her long-hidden feelings for Ash and knowing that he shared those feelings for her, was a feeling she would always hold dear.

"So do I, May. No one else matters as much to me as you do." Ash softly replied. There was silence between the two for a few moments as May slowly trailed her hands up Ash's arms before cupping his face in her hands, while he simply showed a big smile at her, and she didn't show any hesitance in leaning forward and pressing her lips against Ash's. Ash could only stare in shock for a few moments before he felt a big smile cross his face and he wrapped his arms around May while she did the same thing, the two of them enjoying the feeling of being able to finally share their first kiss together. As they seemed to be lost in each other, Pikachu simply watched them with a big smile of joy and let out a happy sigh, thrilled beyond belief to see that this was finally a reality, that two of his closest friends had now finally managed to strength their bond to beyond friendship; it was now nothing a wonderful love for each other, one that could never be broken by any obstacles they would endure. After a few more moments passed, the two slowly parted and simply smiled at each other, enjoying the feeling of their new relationship. Thankfully, the silence was quickly broken by Ash.

"I think we better start heading back to the Grand Festival Hall now. Brock and Max are probably wondering where we are by now." Ash suggested. May nodded in agreement with this idea, so, with Pikachu jumping back up onto his shoulder, the two started to make their way back towards the Grand Festival Hall, hand in hand.

Back at the Grand Festival Hall, Brock and Max were standing outside in front of the doorway; the two were keeping a lookout for Ash and May since they hadn't returned yet and it was becoming a bit worrying. As Max was having a look, he showed a bright smile when he spotted two figures coming their way. "Brock, look! Here they come!" Max cheered, pointing just ahead. Brock turned his glance in the direction Max was pointing and he could see that sure enough, Ash and May were walking over to them and they were both holding hands. As Ash and May arrived in front of them, Brock showed a smile of relief that they were okay.

"There you are, you two! We were starting to get worried about you since you hadn't arrived back yet." Brock commented. May showed an expression of surprise as Max immediately ran over to her and threw his arms around her tightly. "May, don't scare me like that again! I was really starting to worry that something might have happened to you!" Max cried, turning his glance up to May to show that there was an expression of worry written all over his face; it was clear to say that he had been worrying a lot about May while she was gone. May stared in surprise for a few moments before she showed a comforting smile to her little brother.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, Max. But I'm feeling a lot better, and I have Ash to thank for that." May replied. She then turned her head to Ash and showed him a bright smile, to which he couldn't help but smile back. As Brock walked over to them, Ash turned his glance to him.

"How did Soledad's battle go while we were gone?" Ash asked. He then turned to see Max let go of May and immediately run over to him. "You should have seen it, you guys! It was a tough battle, but Soledad managed to pull through. She won the Grand Festival Ribbon Cup!" Max cheered, showing a big smile of awe. Ash and May let out gasps of amazement before they showed big smiles as well.

"Wow… no way!" Ash gasped. "That's amazing!" May cheered, her eyes going wide in awe upon hearing that Soledad managed to win. Brock nodded in confirmation seeing the two's excitement.

"They're about to start the celebration for the winner of the Grand Festival. We wouldn't want to miss out on that, would we?" Brock asked. Ash and May simply nodded in agreement, and so with this, the four started to make their way back inside the hall to watch the celebration. As the four were walking, May ran over to Ash while he turned his head to see her grateful smile.

"Ash, thank you so much for everything. I don't think I would have ever come back if you hadn't chased after me." May commented. Ash stared in surprise before he showed a bright smile back.

"No problem, May. It's great to see you feeling like yourself again." Ash replied. May let out a happy giggle at this comment before she nodded in agreement, and then she reached down and took Ash's hand in hers.

"I couldn't agree more. To think I had been worried about you possibly never returning my feelings for you, and then you were the one to turn things around and confess your feelings first. I don't know about what you think, but that was just the thing we both nodded." May happily stated. Ash simply nodded in agreement with her.

"I know what you mean. I didn't even know that it would take me looking for you to help me realise feelings for you that I never knew about until now. I guess it just shows that you can realise things when you least expect to." Ash replied. May simply nodded in agreement with this statement, as the confessions they shared before heading back were simply the lovely icing on the cake. "I have to say, I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of our journey together in Kanto now that we're together. And if it's possible, May, I was wondering if… you would consider continuing to travel with me afterwards." Ash suggested. May showed no hesitance in giving her answer, as she threw her arms around Ash, nearly causing him to fall over from surprise.

"Of course. Even if wherever we go doesn't hold Contests, I'll still enjoy travelling with you no matter where we go. Because to me, nothing would make that journey better than getting to share it with you." May replied, turning her glance up to Ash with a big smile. Ash couldn't help himself smiling back upon hearing May accept his offer.

"Thanks, May. I know for sure I definitely feel the same way. Travelling to new places just wouldn't be the same without you by my side. Right, Pikachu?" Ash asked, turning his glance to his partner. "(That's right!)" Pikachu cheerfully replied, nodding in agreement.

So with this, the two started to make their way to catch up with Brock and Max. For May, this had been a night she would never forget: even though she had lost in the Grand Festival, she had won in love by having the one boy she wanted more than anyone else, Ash, as her new boyfriend. For her, it had been victory in defeat.


End file.
